Campus Watch

Minnesota deals another pick in Flynn trade

---The Jonny Flynn to Houston NBA Draft Day trade apparently hit a snag when the Rockets' team doctors raised issues with Flynn’s hip injury, Yahoo is reporting. To prevent the deal from falling apart, Minnesota sent a 2012 second-round pick to the Rockets, according to Yahoo.

The issues wouldn’t have kept the former Niagara Falls and Syracuse point guard off the court, but did raise some concerns for the long-term. Whether Minnesota had been forthcoming with the information prior to the trade is unclear.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

Draft night

---Seth Davis provides draft profiles for 40 of the top NBA draft prospects in the country like UConn's Kemba Walker and Butler's Shelvin Mack, pictured right.

 ---The dreams of the members of this draft class are on hold, for reasons completely out of their control.

---Can Jimmer Fredette be an explosive scorer?

---Eric Williams off-season at Niagara has been rather painful.

---Former Binghamton coach Kevin Broadus has been hired by Georgetown as a special assistant coach.

---Boston University has finally hired a new coach.

---Former UCLA stars Ed O'Bannon and Baron Davis will be returning to Westwood this summer in order to complete their studies and recieve their degrees.

---Jason King details Mike Rice's efforts to resurrect Rutgers.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

Big East is in the money

---The Big East made more money from this past season's March Madness than any other conference in the country. In fact, theleague made nearly $6 million more than the Big XII, which made the second-most this March.

---Here's a list of the five best programs without a first round draft pick since 2000.

---Temple hasn't had a player selected in the NBA Draft since Mardy Collins in 2006, but Lavoy Allen is hoping to hear his name called.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

2011 NBA Mock Draft

1. Cleveland – Kyrie Irving, PG, Duke
2. Minnesota – Derrick Williams, F, Arizona
3. Utah – Brandon Knight, PG, Kentucky
4. Cleveland – Enes Kanter, C, Kentucky
5. Toronto – Kemba Walker, PG, UConn
6. Washington – Jan Vesely, SF, KK Partizan Belgrade
7. Sacramento – Jimmer Fredette, PG, BYU
8. Detroit – Jonas Valanciunas, C, Lietuvos Rytas
9. Charlotte – Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Diego State
10. Milwaukee – Marcus Morris, SF, Kansas
11. Golden State – Klay Thompson, SF, Washington State
12. Utah – Chris Singleton, SF, Florida State
13. Phoenix – Tristan Thompson, PF, Texas
14. Houston – Bismack Biyombo, PF, Baloncesto Fuenlabrada
15. Indiana – Alec Burks, SG, Colorado
16. Philadelphia – Nikola Vucevic, C, USC
17. New York – Markieff Morris, PF, Kansas
18. Washington – Donatas Motiejunas, C, Benetton Treviso
19. Charlotte – Marshon Brooks, SG, Providence
20. Memphis – Jordan Hamilton, SF, Texas
21. Portland – Kenneth Faried, PF, Morehead State
22. Denver – Tobias Harris, F, Tennessee
23. Houston – Darius Morris, PG, Michigan
24. Oklahoma City – Reggie Jackson, G, Boston College
25. Boston – Trey Thompkins, PF, Georgia
26. Dallas – Justin Harper, PF, Richmond
27. New Jersey – Davis Bertans, SF, Lavia
28. Chicago – Chandler Parson, SF, Florida
29. San Antonio – Nikola Mirotic, PF, Real Madrid
30. Chicago – Iman Shumpert, G, Georgia Tech

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

Early NBA mock draft

---The Cleveland Cavaliers are the big winners in this year's draft lottery and here's an early mock of the first 14 picks:

1. Cleveland: Kyrie Irving, PG, Duke - It's time for The Recovery in Cleveland.
2. Minnesota: Derrick Williams, SF, Arizona: Could jump to No. 1.
3. Utah: Brandon Knight, PG, Kentucky: Coach Cal develops NBA ready PGs.
4. Cleveland: Enes Kanter, PF, Turkey: Difficult to contain in the low post.
5. Toronto: Jonas Valanciunas, PF, Lithuania: Has grown four inches in four years and is now 6-10.
6. Washington: Jan Vesely, F, Czech Republic: Would have been a top 10 pick last year.
7. Sacramento: Kemba Walker, PG, UConn: Another Ben Gordon.
8. Detroit: Tristan Thompson, PF, Texas: Needs to find a position.
9. Charlotte: Donatas Motiejunas, C, Lithuania: Add weight and you'll have Pau Gasol.
10. Milwaukee: Alec Burks, SG, Colorado: Very athletic guard prospect.
11. Golden State: Bismack Biyombo, PF, Congo: Best rebounder/defender available.
12. Utah: Chris Singleton, PF, Florida State: Can defend multiple position.
13. Phoenix: Jimmer Fredette, PG, BYU: Perfect for the Suns offense.
14. Houston: Marcus Morris, PF, Kansas: Could be selected higher.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

Not much payout from this Lottery

---Duke's Kyrie Irving and Arizona's Derrick Williams are the top prospects available for the NBA Draft, which holds its Lottery tonight, but the rest of the field has a lot of murkiness.

After the past four drafts produced Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Blake Griffin and John Wall, 2011 isn’t expected to offer any can’t-miss stars. Whoever wins the lottery can’t be sure they’ll receive a franchise-changing player.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

Syracuse's Jackson to participate in combine

Syracuse senior Rick Jackson will participate in an NBA Draft Combine hosted by the New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets.

The two-day combine begins Saturday. Jackson will work out Sunday. Other notables expected to be in attendance this weekend are Xavier’s Tu Holloway, Rhode Island’s Delroy James and Duquesne’s Damian Saunders.

The deadline to return to school is Sunday for underclassmen who did not hire an agent and withdraw from the draft.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

New CBA could keep kids in college longer

---Marc Spears writes that several high-ranking NBA team executives said they wouldn’t be surprised if the age limit in the new CBA is pushed to two years in college and 20 years old by the end of that calendar year. One NBA general manager says about two-thirds of teams are in favor of that change. The current CBA states that an American must be out of high school for at least one year and be 19 years old by the end of that calendar year before entering the draft.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

New CBA could keep kids in college longer

---Marc Spears writes that several high-ranking NBA team executives said they wouldn’t be surprised if the age limit in the new CBA is pushed to two years in college and 20 years old by the end of that calendar year. One NBA general manager says about two-thirds of teams are in favor of that change. The current CBA states that an American must be out of high school for at least one year and be 19 years old by the end of that calendar year before entering the draft.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)

A thing of beauty for UConn

 

---Jerry Sullivan writes that while UConn isn't a great team, it's a worthy champion.

---Butler's Matt Howard enjoyed quite a career.

---Butler could not buy a bucket last night and shot a record low 18 percent.

---Kemba Walker will be able to graduate after just three years at UConn. But that might not mean he's leaving for the NBA. Walker's halftime speech lifted the Huskies to the top.

---Will Jim Calhoun go out on top, or return to UConn and face his suspension?

---Nate Miles has apparently changed his mind about speaking to the NCAA.

---Here's 16 years worth of "One Shining Moments."

---Here's a preseason Top 25 list for 2011-12.

---Fairfield has hired Princeton's Sydney Johnson as its new coach, while Towson hired Pitt assistant Pat Skerry.

---Wichita State's Gregg Marshall has become one of the many coaches to turn down the North Carolina State job opening, including Cincinnati's Mic Cronin, who recieved an extension from the Bearcats to remain their head coach until the end of the 2016-17.

---Ohio State assistant coach Jeff Boals is the leading candidate for the Fresno State opening.

---Lon Kruger, the new coach at Oklahoma, does not believe his program needs to rebuild, and who will UNLV hire to replace him?

---North Carolina's Harrison Barnes and John Henson will decide on their futures in the next week or so.

---With a potential NBA lockout, many prospects are uncertain about their futures.

---Steve Kerr wants to see some changes with the First Four.

---Rodney McKissic

(www.twitter.com/rodneyjmckissic)